Here’s how the natural products industry is fulfilling its commitment to eco-friendly and sustainable practices.
The panel:
Lauren Gaffney, Co-owner, Mastel’s Health Foods, St. Paul, MN, www.mastels.com
Ramona Billingslea, Marketing Manager, Betsy’s Health Foods, Spring, TX, https://betsyhealth.com
Ryan Fisher, Chief Sustainability Officer, Trace, Ogden, UT, https://traceminerals.com
Sergio Giménez, Business Manager, AIMPLAS, Valencia, Spain, https://aimplas.net
Travis Lemon, Owner/Operator, Tulsi, Huntington, WV, https://tulsiwv.com
The natural products industry is renewing its commitment to sustainability through a variety of emerging initiatives. From developing eco-friendly products, to making packaging more sustainable, to investing in environmental causes, natural products manufacturers and retailers alike are investing in climate-conscious practices. Vitamin Retailer (VR) has invited a panel of experts to explain how the natural products industry is going greener than ever before.
VR: What constitutes an eco-friendly product these days?
Gaffney: At Mastel’s, we look for certifications, especially Regenerative Organic. Packing decisions, like reclaimed ocean plastic are also good indicators of an eco-friendly product. We also look at environmental concerns for the ingredient sourcing, such as avoiding palm oil unless it is explicitly certified (and even then we try to avoid palm oil). Certain companies also disclose how their manufacturing is powered, using solar or wind power.
Billingslea: I think if you asked 10 different people this question, you would likely receive 10 different answers, but here is what I have observed as more manufacturers embrace consumer desire for a healthier planet. An eco-friendly product needs to address sustainability in product and packaging choices, an active plan in place by the manufacturer to reduce its carbon footprint, and conscious choices balancing benefits between the needs people have for better health and what might be best for the planet at every stage from development to final product.
Fisher: The term “Eco-Friendly” has expanded over the years in meaning and most likely will continue to expand as sustainability efforts continue to evolve. Generally speaking, an eco-friendly product is one that has been sourced with sustainable materials including recycled materials. Consideration is given to the life cycle of the product including its environmental footprint, and end of life cycle options. Innovation in keeping products in a closed-loop environment has a significant impact on the environment by continuing to re-use raw materials used in manufacturing. We are already seeing that eco-friendly brands selling eco-friendly products are seeing an increase in customer loyalty and increased revenues directly related to sustainability efforts.
Giménez: An eco-friendly product is one that considers sustainability throughout the product value chain, from raw materials, production, distribution, logistics and the entire end of life, including management and recycling. It is to achieve a product with the minimum environmental impact objectively measured through life cycle analysis or carbon footprint. And then it can be recycled and in turn produce new raw materials, closing the circle of the circular economy.
Lemon: I think many customers are looking for brands that prioritize regenerative practices in many different ways, from using less plastic in their packaging to using raw materials that are grown and harvested in a more sustainable manner.
VR: How important is eco-friendly messaging to consumers?
Gaffney: While I don’t know if it is the primary decision-making point for customers regarding whether or not they’ll take a supplement, I think the eco-friendly aspect can be helpful when deciding between two similar products. We like to point out how powerful your spending decision can be when choosing to support a brand that has a positive environmental impact.
Billingslea: Eco-friendly products are growing in number, which certainly reflects a growing demand in the market for these conscious-driven products.
Consumers are realizing more and more that we can have healthy-for-us products that are also healthy for the planet.
Giménez: Consumers are the most important link in the circular economy. Everyone throws away waste daily and if waste is not disposed of in the right containers, the circular economy cannot be applied. In this sense it is very important to involve the consumer in all laws on waste management, how they make decisions, habits, knowing what we are willing to do, and most importantly, providing incentives if we do things right and penalizing if we do things wrong. Both industry and government have a duty to involve consumers in the whole process, including of course information campaigns about sustainability and the circular economy.
Lemon: Messaging is very important. Many customers are already looking for eco-friendly products, but it may also act as a reminder for folks to keep sustainability in mind when shopping for other items.
VR: How do sustainable products affect the natural products industry?
Gaffney: As our industry has grown, I think we are uniquely placed to set an example of what good, sustainable products are. Other industries have looked to us in terms of “cleaning up their act” and I think we can wield that kind of influence to effect greater change.
Billingslea: As might be predicted, sustainability means that primary ingredients may sometimes be scarce, so that companies are having to learn new ways to buy. This year alone (though many other factors also play into this), all our vendors have experienced much higher out-of-stocks than we normally see.
Fisher: The natural products industry should be leading the way in conservation efforts as we recognize the need for clean, efficacious, and impactful products that improve people’s health. The same values that drive an individuals efforts to improve their own health and well-being through supplementation highlight the importance of taking care of our natural environment. Being a leader in sustainability is a responsibility that we have as an industry.
Giménez: In principle, it should not affect it differently, the sustainability strategies are the same and do not depend on the product we package. It is true that the natural products industry has a higher level of awareness. Because of the type of product they produce and its natural character, it is logical that it is accompanied by sustainable packaging. However, it is important to be very careful with greenwashing because sometimes there are certain trends that are considered more sustainable and are not always so. For example, there is now a lot of rejection of plastic materials, and it seems that any alternative is better, and this is not the case. That is why it is necessary to look at each case and apply the best option at any given moment. Materials are a means to achieve the best option and we must use the best in each case.
Lemon: Sustainable products add another reason to shop eco-minded independent retailers. Once the customer is in the door, we can talk about the many different sustainable practices that a lot of natural products have to offer.
VR: What are the latest trends in sustainability?
Gaffney: In my opinion, regenerative farming practices are some of the most important things that we can do right now to improve our current food production system. Ocean waste plastic can be used for environmentally sustainable packing.
Billingslea: It seems that sustainability is infiltrating all the details of a product. For example, mass brand Healthy Choice has a series of frozen foods that are placed in plant-fiber-based trays, a fact which is prominently advertised on the front of each box.
Fisher: The latest trends in sustainability in 2024 reflect a comprehensive approach that spans across industries and sectors, focusing on not only reducing environmental impact but also creating regenerative, resilient and equitable systems. Businesses, governments and consumers are increasingly collaborating to drive innovation, shift to renewable resources, and protect the planet for future generations. Some specific trends we are seeing include carbon neutrality and net-zero goals, renewable energy solutions in manufacturing and facility planning, regenerative agriculture, plastic reduction and sustainable packaging, environmental management systems that allow companies to measure, report, and reduce their environmental footprint, ESG investing, and supply chain innovations.
Giménez: There are several approaches, all of which are complementary. The first is eco-design, which involves selecting the best possible material, optimizing the design with the minimum amount of material, making 100 percent recyclable packaging, which means moving toward monolayer and mono-material solutions. Secondly, reuse and repair to keep products in the consumption cycle for as long as possible. Finally, recycling, providing a collection and recycling system for packaging that allows it to be introduced as a new raw material. Recycling technologies are in a very important research process, developing mechanical, chemical, physical and biological recycling technologies.
Lemon: I’ve been noticing more and more brands becoming B-Corps that are placing their focus on sustainability and transparency.
VR: What are some of the latest types of sustainable products on offer?
Gaffney: True Grace supplement brand uses a portion of their revenue to set up farmers wishing to convert to regenerative organic. Their supplement bottles are made by a company that is involved with removing plastic from the ocean. There are a number of brands using upcycled food materials in their finished products—this takes what would have been food waste and keeps it in the usable food cycle.
Billingslea: Our fish oils have touted sustainability in action for quite a while. These days, even plant-based products are doing the same. Companies are also reducing the use of plastic-wrap on bottles and striving to choose methods to reduce the carbon footprint in producing finished products.
Fisher: Products that use recycled and bio-degradable materials, innovative delivery methods that reduce usage and plant-based alternatives. Products that use less packaging are also popular as companies use technology and innovation to improve their offerings.
Giménez: The first thing is to have 100 percent recyclable packaging and secondly to incorporate as much recycled material as possible, even if it is possible to reach 100 percent, that would be ideal. In terms of materials, alternatives, such as biopolymers and compostable packaging are emerging, although they are not a universal solution, and their use will depend on the application and the life cycle of the product. On the other hand, it is necessary to rethink current consumption models and look for new business models. In this sense, reusable packaging is ideal for shipping containers, it is as easy as designing reusable containers that can be delivered and collected by the same transport service. A deposit-return system (DRS), with a cost to the consumer so that they can get it back if they return it. A similar business model has been implemented for carrier bags in Spain and has achieved a 65 percent reduction in plastic bag consumption.
Lemon: More organically grown food-sourced vitamins and supplements, as well as more rands focusing on a sustainable approach to hemp and CBD products.
VR: How do these types of products impact the environment?
Billingslea: How often do people set out to do something good, then cause an entirely different set of issues or problems with the solutions they come up with? Only time will tell if our efforts today actually garner a healthier planet in the future. As it stands, many of our solutions come with their own limitations. Plastic bags cause harm, but paper bags use an enormous amount of water to produce, for example.
Fisher: Plastics in our oceans and landfills are particularly concerning. These sustainable options reduce plastic waste and also create economic advantages for companies that are looking to meet customer needs.
Giménez: The measure of how products impact the environment is determined by the life cycle analysis or carbon footprint of the product. The Denkstatt Institute has published a report on how replacing plastic with other materials would affect the environment. Weight would be multiplied by 3.6 times, energy by 2.2 times and emissions by 2.7 times, so using plastics is a good option and even more so if we incorporate recycling. However, to do this it is essential to avoid littering. Littering is the fundamental problem regarding plastic pollution, so it is necessary to have waste collection and management systems in place. Thanks to the ONO pact on plastic pollution, plastic collection and management measures will be implemented worldwide, which will allow plastics to become again an efficient solution in the use of packaging, as is already the case in the United States and Europe.
VR: Where does the industry need to improve its sustainability practices?
Gaffney: We would love to see more reusable and compostable packaging. Our supplement shelves are full of primarily virgin plastic, we’d love to see more brands using post-consumer plastic packaging. Glass is heavy to ship and is not always durable in transit. Refill pouches are a great, lightweight alternative to packing everything in bottles.
Billingslea: I think our industry should be leading the charge on eco-friendly products. We are also the ones who should be educating consumers on the difference between actual eco-friendliness and some marketing spin on a label (like when mass marketers put the word natural on a label and most people read that as a synonym for healthy.)
Fisher: In packaging and recycling efforts. If you walk through any health food store in the U.S. it becomes quickly apparent when seeing the number of individual bottles, packages, boxes, etc. that are in the marketplace. In my opinion this is an area that has a lot of low hanging fruit potential.
Giménez: The critical point for the industry is precisely to know the environmental impact of products. It is necessary to start measuring to have reference values and then start reducing based on different alternatives. What is happening is that many companies are being driven by sensations rather than by objective data and are using options that are not more sustainable and that correspond to greenwashing. In some cases, plastic packaging is being replaced by paper alternatives that also have a plastic coating, which means that we are moving from monomaterial, single-layer packaging to a multilayer, multilayer option that is more complex to recycle and has a greater environmental impact. On the other hand, if we replace the same packaging with recycled plastic or apply a reuse option, the environmental impact is significantly reduced by not using new raw materials. These are the actions that the industry should take, basing decisions on objective measures.
VR: What can you tell me about PFAS in household essentials?
Billingslea: PFAS are everywhere, including in our own blood! We still have challenges to go to eliminate these dangerous chemicals from our everyday world. Convenience and cost is also still a strong pull against the full embrasure of eco-friendly products, since they are often neither convenient nor inexpensive.
Giménez: The current trend in product design is to take a holistic approach to product design from both a health and safety point of view. This is called safe and sustainable design (SSBD), products that are safe from both a health and environmental point of view. Thanks to the REACH legislation, progress is being made in understanding the risk of certain chemicals. New data have reported that PFASs are substances that may pose a risk and a ban is imminent. The same applies to substances such as bisphenol A, primary aromatic amines, metals or microplastics, all of which are under continuous study and review to establish control measures or, if necessary, their elimination. In any case, the risk of exposure is low, and it is not necessary to alarm consumers, but work must be done to put safe products on the market.
VR: What’s on the horizon in the realm of sustainability?
Gaffney: Regenerative farming! We have a limited number of harvests left. Companies like True Grace are using their influence and profits to convert farmland to RO, even just farms that are growing food crops, not specifically supplement ingredients.
Billingslea: As out-of-stock issues continue to plague manufacturers, what will happen to sustainable practices then? If demand gets too out of balance with supply, I think we could easily fall back into our not-so-eco-friendly practices.
Fisher: The future of sustainability promises exciting innovations and systemic changes across industries, driven by advancing technology, increasing regulatory pressures, and growing consumer demand for eco-conscious solutions. Companies will continue to get better at measuring the impacts that their businesses have on the environment thereby giving them more insights on how to reduce those impacts. Here at Trace, we realize that we have a significant part to play in our own sustainable journey. We have made targeted efforts and investments into improving our environmental policies and procedures.VR
